The Price ࿊f Peace

☮️:045

Somewhere in Oakland ⚠️

The walk back to the table was one of much faux-confidence.

Syara's knees were still wobbling, and her higher heels weren't helping whatsoever. She made sure to sway her hips enticingly as she made her way to the table. She also made sure to keep a straight face to rival Elijah's natural mug.

She kept her head high, and she didn't appear nearly as flustered as she was upon exiting the table to go to the bathroom.

"You good, fat ma?" He asked her, sitting back across from her after having stood to pull her chair out.

Syara felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the nickname he'd used for her. Maybe she should have been used to it by now, but she wasn't.

Syara felt her mask slipping, but she merely clamped her legs together and met his gaze. "Mhm."

"Words, mama." She shuddered undetectably, taking a moment to catch her breath before she spoke in response.

"Yes," she spoke shakily. She promptly cleared her throat, adjusting herself in her seat and fixing her face to be expressionless. "Yeah, I'm coo'."

Elijah chuckled in response, nodding. "Alright, baby."

_________________

The rest of the date passed rather rockily. For Syara, at least.

She had a wonderful time, and he was more than a gentleman, respectful, attentive. It was just that everything he did, said, even how he looked at her, had her heart racing.

Syara tried her best to remained unruffled by Elijah's gaze, but it was nearly impossible. She couldn't even eat without being distracted by the fluttering of her stomach, or the heartbeat that she felt in a place it wasn't supposed to be.

After a while, Elijah wasn't even doing anything, he was simply existing, and she was in a trance.

She wasn't used to feeling things like this, still. She couldn't force herself to shy away and risk losing him again. And she didn't even want to.

Syara decided a while ago that she was ready to learn how to love him.

If only she knew how mutual the feeling was.

Syara was sitting in his passenger seat of his car, looking out of his window, holding back tears at the influx rush of feelings. She turned her head just slightly to look in his direction, rolling her lips inward before grabbing his hand, and beginning to play with his fingers in her lap.

She just wanted to touch him.

For some reason, she was feeling overwhelmed. It wasn't even the first time she'd felt that way.

Elijah was her first everything, but kissing. He had her, and the thought of that was terrifying.

"You okay, fat ma?" He asked her, curling a finger under her chin to lift her head up to meet her eyes.

He clucked his tongue, but it was obviously not in annoyance, he just hated seeing her cry. He immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, pulling her over the seat and into his lap to wipe her now falling tears.

"Whatchu' cryin' for, fat Mama?" Elijah swiped his hand under eye once more. "Hm?"

"What's wrong, mami?"